


Stars Under Fire

by rilukuma



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (or at least it's supposed to be one hahaha), Anal Sex, Bounty Hunters, M/M, Space Opera, and other sexy things uwu, im new to this tagging thing heLP, oikawa is a scheming shithead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 19:20:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11607288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilukuma/pseuds/rilukuma
Summary: When Iwaizumi left the Galactic Alliance Army, he had done so with the intention of living out the rest of his life quietly. Bounty hunting was not the most lucrative career in the world, but it brought him a warm bed and a full stomach almost every night.However, Iwaizumi’s wishes of a routine life are interrupted when the tides of rebellion begin to sway in his direction. What should have been a simple transport job turns into a deadly flight away from the Galactic Alliance Army, a chaotic clash between compromises, and an even more chaotic eruption of feelings that should have never been allowed out in the first place.





	Stars Under Fire

**Author's Note:**

> h-hi everyone
> 
> this is my first iwaoi fic bc theyre so beautiful (and furudate better bring them back for a bit or else im gonna burn sth down). i used to write for hunhan but that fandom kinda died and i havent written in ages so apologies if my writing really sucks hahahahahah 
> 
> LOL OK also yeah i know. 7k. but i didnt want to post the 1st chapter without introducing the main pair so :') forgive me. there will be def more flirting in the next chapter n_____n
> 
> uh yeah enjoy (also im sorry you have to read through all the bad jokes i make)

On _Eros_ , the planet where springs danced eternally, there were many beautiful things worth seeing. There were sparkling pink cherry blossom trees that were always within sight and gave the planet its signature blush color, the long canals between Eros’ cities colored pink from their red algae in constant bloom, and the skies that were illuminated a bright crimson because of the unique composition of molecules in the air that collected and spread red light instead of colder hues from their nearest star. If one were to name all the other exquisite views that were not as prominent as the first three, they would find themselves on an endless journey for every little miniscule particle of this serene planet was worth seeing.

On Eros – the planet known as a gathering spot for couples wishing to get away because of its romantic nature – was generally a peaceful place because people tended to be wrapped up with the things they loved to really care about the things that would normally stir up less-than-pleasant emotions. It was a nice place with nice weather and nice food, not to mention the fact that crime rates were low too. Eros was a beautiful planet, perhaps the closest thing there was to the dictionary definition of the word _paradise_ : so when Iwaizumi received news of a bounty smack-dab in the middle of Eros’ capital city, he had truly believed that it was going to be nothing but a walk in the park.

Rather, it turned out to be a violent sprint-for-his-life in the park.

“I’m going to fucking _kill_ Kindaichi—” Iwaizumi snapped as he dived to the right, narrowly avoiding a purple tentacle he learned just moments ago was filled with poison when the pink grass it touched immediately withered into a muddy brown. He shook his head exasperatedly, reminding himself to never let Kindaichi decide on accepting a bounty offer on behalf of the team ever again. “B-rank, my ass.” Iwaizumi growled under his breath.

“Stop flapping your mouth and—!” Hanamaki hollered back just a few meters away, also diving away from another tentacle attack. It pained Iwaizumi just a bit to see the innocent, pink plants melt into a less attractive color. It also pained Iwaizumi to see Hanamaki ram right into a park bench, the unrelenting tentacle missing his friend by a fraction of a centimeter. “—use your brain, damn it!” Hanamaki gasped.

Iwaizumi scoffed – or he did it as best he could with his lungs already threatening to give up on him. Iwaizumi was by no means unfit – and it showed with his shiny track record as a proud, Galactic Bounty-Hunting Guild-approved bounty hunter – but sometimes, running away from monsters that were two times the size of yourself wasn’t always the easiest task. “Why don’t _yo_ —”

“You two should just stop wasting my time and give up!” The bearded man with matted moss-colored hair cackled as he took another lunge at the sprinting duo, uncaring of the fact that he was destroying countless heart-shaped flower arrangements or ruining the carefully pebbled paths of the park. Iwaizumi made sure to duck his head just a bit, hoping that whatever cameras were littered around the city could not catch his face – Yahaba would be absolutely _pissed_ if Iwaizumi boarded _S.S. SEIJOH_ with yet another government issued bill demanding they paid for repairs for damages caused by their hunt once again—

There was a crash, and then several large porcelain chunks flew all around the park. Iwaizumi groaned. Surely, that statue of a young, naked Eros lying atop a bloated heart cost a fortune, but it was obvious that the mutant behind Iwaizumi did not care. In fact, it seemed as if he were absolutely exhilarated by the endless chaos all around him, especially when it contrasted against the normally quiet nature of the land. Such earned curious glances from the onlookers, for this was quite a rare sight to behold. Even the most heinous of heathens or immoral of men tended to fall for the dreamy allure of the planet. Love literally filled the air for that was all that the planet’s inhabitants emitted and breathed in, regardless if they were there for a temporary or permanent stay.

‘Then again who would love a _thing_ like that?’ Iwaizumi thought, glancing behind himself to catch a glimpse at the horrendous creature behind him. He appeared to be neither Human nor octopoda: Iwaizumi was sure that whoever the genetic alchemist behind creating this monstrosity must have had the time of their life working on this former Human. This was why you went to expensive, certified crafters if you were a power-hungry monster, not the quacks scattered all across the galaxy.

Regardless of the jest inside of Iwaizumi’s mind, the fact that this monster was still hot on Iwaizumi’s heels and completely ready to pulverize him still remained. They were nearing the end of the park, and though Iwaizumi was sure that the casualty count currently stood at zero, he wasn’t confident that it would remain that way if they continued to head further _in_ to Eros’ capital.  

There was a long set of stairs just a short ways away from Iwaizumi, and he hoped for a moment that those horrendously slimy appendages spewing out of their pursuer’s lower torso would just lose grip and thus create his own demise. Without his beloved halberd – or anything to defend himself with _at all_ for that matter – taking down this monstrosity was sure to be an issue no matter how much Iwaizumi could out-lift his crew members, ten times over. Iwaizumi gestured for Hanamaki to follow, and curved towards the seemingly endless steps.

As Iwaizumi and Hanamaki flew down the stairs rapidly, both pairs of eyes scanned the vicinity frantically in hopes of finding something more useful than the pretty flowers and the old trees that were in the park. It appeared that the park ended there, and that the stairs led to the beginning of a complicated fork in the road. There was a wide parking lot to Iwaizumi’s right with a handful of idiots still parking their hovercrafts and mobiles in spite of the obviously dangerous monster giving chase, and next to it was a small strip of local cafés and _bars_ already glittering with life despite the soft rays of the planet’s central star still filtering through the cotton-candy clouds – Iwaizumi was definitely not going to count on those people protecting themselves. There was a lake to Iwaizumi’s left that would have been useful had the monster’s bottom half had not been merged with an _aquatic_ creature, but ultimately he figured that it was better than following the trajectory of the stairway and heading right into the crowd of frightened lovers by the open marketplace and the tall buildings and small, winding roads behind it. Iwaizumi just hoped that he wasn’t sacrificing his own life by keeping in mind the lives of other people.

The only signal Hanamaki received was a single whistle before he was left alone, the mutant now focusing solely on Iwaizumi after having been hit precisely in the face by a tiny rock. Hanamaki groaned exasperatedly at Iwaizumi’s rash actions and slipped off into the opposite direction after knowing there was no point in arguing. He left Iwaizumi behind with the creature who was thankfully as dimwitted as he was ugly.

 _Let’s see if these long years of friendship have been for naught or not_ , Iwaizumi mused as he prayed Hanamaki knew exactly what he wanted from the other man.

To Iwaizumi’s dismay, the lakeside was just as useful as the quiet park now ravaged by the monster’s chase. Aside from the wooden fence that surrounded parts of the sparkling lake, and the gorgeously harmless flora that stretched all around the space, nothing else existed in that place. Not a single hut, a bench, or even a goddamn oar for those fancy white canoes!

 _At least everyone was smart enough to evacuate as soon as they saw_ that _ugly mug_. Iwaizumi thought as he hopped over a boulder, narrowly dodging another attack with a hammering heart. He continued to run along the lakeside, hoping to stall for some time. But with every attack aimed at Iwaizumi, the intensity of the tremors on the ground behind Iwaizumi grew. It was obvious that the monster was also starting to grow tired of the chase. Iwaizumi just hoped that it would tire before he did.

“What a _pest_.” The crafted Human snarled just as Iwaizumi jumped aside, the slimy tentacle smashing several fence posts out of their place. “It is you who came after me first, and now you want to escape?!”

 _Shit, shit, shit—_ Iwaizumi cussed inwardly when the monster destroyed another handful of wooden planks. This time, the force was enough to swipe several splinters right across Iwaizumi’s cheek.

“I was so content with just wandering around the galaxy, perhaps killing just a few here and there – is that so wrong?! There’s so much scum living in every planet nowadays! No one would mind if a few of them died!” Judging from his continuous ramble, Iwaizumi’s former target was starting to lose his mind. Iwaizumi thought back to his initial days of adulthood where he was in the middle of his military training, and could sympathize with the exhausted monster. When you were tired, your mind was always the first to go because at least you would have your primal instinct – your energy would be put into breathing, running away, and the like. If your organs collapsed or your breathing just stopped…well, there was nothing for you to replace those things with. “I just wanted to live _peacefully_ – how dare you ruin all of this—”

 _Where the hell is Hanamaki?_ Iwaizumi wondered as he glanced at the carnage behind him. His eyes scanned the area once more. If he wasn’t going to have his halberd, there must have been something else similar enough to use. He _knew_ there was something he could use. It was just one of those times when the brain was under so much stress that the most obvious things were no longer visible. _Flowers, the shed, bushes, more flowers, the fence…_

“Look buddy.” Iwaizumi shouted back as he spun on his heel, suddenly facing the mutant. The mutated Human stopped rambling in surprise, and looked as if he had a hard time focusing on Iwaizumi. It was breathing heavily. Good. “I have _nothing_ against you or what you do as a hobby.” Iwaizumi flashed the monster a smile even as he dived off to the side to avoid a sloppy attack. “However, someone out there does – which is why your head has a bounty on it…so…no hard feelings, alright?”

“Just like how there’ll be no hard feelings when I fuckin’ crush you right—” The mutant snarled in frustration, though it sounded more slurred together than anything. In his grumbling, the mutant had failed to notice when Iwaizumi suddenly made a quick dash behind the monster, narrowly dodging the late onslaught of attacks.

“You nasty wretch—”

“That’s _if_ you can murder me—” Iwaizumi said as he slammed a broken wooden fence post down onto a single tentacle as hard as he could. A few specks of the corrosive fluid doused Iwaizumi’s pants, but that was nothing compared to the ear-splitting scream that came from the monster. It was only the beginning of the concerto Iwaizumi intended to orchestrate with the broken planks all around them.

 

By the time Hanamaki returned to Iwaizumi with a long, heavy pole wrapped up in thick cloth in his arms, Iwaizumi was already standing calmly as he filled out the forms on his G.B.G. – _Galactic Bounty-Hunters’ Guild_ – issued tablet as if he were just some passerby texting his friend how _you won’t believe what disgustingly awesome thing I just saw_ —

“That is…just vile.” Hanamaki spoke as he approached Iwaizumi. It was certainly not the word that Iwaizumi was hoping to hear, but the faint traces of awe in Hanamaki’s voice sufficed for now.

Hanamaki eyed the holes of exposed, tanned skin in Iwaizumi’s clothes as a result of the tentacles’ burning acid and rancid blood that sprinkled out during the carnage. The lumpy fluid covered Iwaizumi from head to toe, painting him so that he would match the overall color scheme of this planet. It was impossible for Iwaizumi not to be because he had essentially used the entire lakeside fence to hammer the pile of flesh down. Iwaizumi was a _damn_ good bounty hunter, but Hanamaki’s stomach was spinning too much for him to be able to praise the other man.

“And…done!” Iwaizumi announced as he sent over the scan and report to G.B.G., relieved that his _Galactic Coins_ account would expand once again. Of course, a large cut of it was to be shared with his crewmates on the _S.S. SEIJOH_ , but for now, Iwaizumi could pretend that he was ten thousand _galcos_ richer.

“Another successful hunt, huh?” Hanamaki commented after his stomach settled a bit, “When are you ever going to _not_ overdo things?”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I tried to this time, but fuckin’ Kindaichi – who won’t be getting much of a cut, might I add – decided to accept a B rank bounty even though he _knew_ Kyoutani was still working on my halberd. I didn’t have any other choice” Iwaizumi eyed the bundle in Hanamaki’s arms, “How is it, by the way?”

“Why don’t you check for yourself?” Hanamaki scoffed, tossing the weapon in his arms carelessly before shaking his aching arms loose. Iwaizumi yelped quietly and scrambled to catch what his crewmates liked to call _Iwaizumi’s lovechild with a demon lord_ : a sleek black halberd with blades made of Alantia’s finest underwater orihalcum and curved by _Sol_ ’s toughest blacksmiths. It was really just a fancy toy that cost Iwaizumi a month of slinking around in the swamps. After that stint, the poorly hidden neat-freak side of him decided that it was high time he spoiled himself for taking on such a ludicrous career.

 _Though, this is what happens when you waste your youth cultivating stupid shit instead of actually learning something useful_. Iwaizumi thought briefly as he watched the G.B.G-employed collectors cringe at the mangled remains of the mutant. They reluctantly loaded the mess into G.B.G.-issued containers – which were basically just large, rectangular boxes of tin with a fancy lid and attachments for the collectors’ spaceships – so that they could bring it back to a nearby G.B.G. centre. Any bounty that was ranked B or above were usually taken in for processing and finally, detainment by the G.B.G., or if they were deceased, they would be to be rid of wholly and completely.

The damages dealt to the planets, however, were not their responsibility.

“…wow.” Was all Yahaba could muster up when Iwaizumi handed the ship’s resident navigator a holographic bill from his tablet that detailed Eros’ total damages as a result of the bounty. He still hadn’t changed out of his tattered clothing because Yahaba had hounded Iwaizumi as soon as he stepped foot into the spacecraft’s main hangar.

Matsukawa looked as if he were ready to faint. “This is what happens when I don’t accompany you guys – oh god.”

“That’s more or less half the amount we just earned.” Kindaichi mumbled nervously after peering over Matsukawa’s shoulder to see the contents of the hologram. Iwaizumi, Yahaba, Hanamaki and Matsukawa all turned to stare at the youngest member of their crew accusingly, before Kindaichi ran off after muttering something about helping Kyoutani out.

“It’s really not our fault this time…you know G.H.G. would have gotten on our case if we delayed the capture after acceptance.” Hanamaki pleaded, mostly to Matsukawa who was the third member of the resident bounty-hunting party on the ship. Named after the ship, the three of them worked on missions together under the name _Team SEIJOH_ and had done so for the past five years. Before that, it was just Matsukawa and Hanamaki. Kindaichi was a trainee bounty hunter that they had been mentoring, but it looked as if there were still many years before the kid would be approved by the guild.

“Yeah. So don’t take it out on us just because you guys are too lazy to reprimand Kindaichi properly, alright?” Iwaizumi added in crossly, a complete one-eighty from Hanamaki’s tone.

All that work, that muscle strain – all gone to waste.

Iwaizumi wanted to cry.

Yahaba shook his head and left, muttering something about _as long as I get paid…_

On the other hand, Matsukawa looked as if he had many retorts to Iwaizumi’s accusations – most of which were probably not of the pleasant nature, given how long the trio had known each other for – but ultimately he decided to keep quiet in the end. A part of Iwaizumi wanted to say that it was because they all knew that he was right, but the bounty hunter also knew that it was actually more because the less time they spent pointing fingers at each other, the more chances they had to earn money – money that they desperately needed in that moment.

“Fine. Let’s just go pay this off and then find our next meal.” Matsukawa decided.

Suddenly, there was a collective chime coming from all of their tablets – meaning that the inbox the team collectively shared had just received a new message. Matsukawa sighed and tapped on the tablet, procuring yet another hologram. This time, it was a letter.

“Hey…isn’t that the G.B.G. crest…?” Hanamaki pointed out at the bottom of the letter. A sense of dread formed in their spines before Hanamaki cleared his throat. He read the letter aloud:

“FILE NO. 394-39230-237

ATTN: SUB-GROUP CODE 392 (SEIJOH)

HUNTER CODE 38473 (MATSUKAWA ISSEI)

HUNTER CODE 39489 (HANAMAKI TAKAHIRO)

HUNTER CODE 51052 (IWAIZUMI HAJIME)

ALL HUNTERS OUTLINED ABOVE ARE TO REPORT TO THE NEAREST GALACTIC BOUNTY-HUNTERS’ GUILD HEADQUARTERS. PLEASE HAVE A PIECE OF PHOTO IDENTIFICATION, YOUR INDIVIDUAL HUNTER’S LICENSES, AND THIS LETTER READY FOR PRESENTATION. IT IS MANDATORY YOU TAKE ACTION WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS OF RECEIVING THIS LETTER, OR SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WILL ENSUE.

SIGNED,

GALACTIC BOUNTY-HUNTERS’ GUILD.”

“This isn’t ominous at all.” Iwaizumi laughed mirthlessly.

“Oh god.” Matsukawa groaned. “Oh god. What a pain.”

They were silent for a while longer, before Matsukawa sprinted down the halls of the spacecraft, Kindaichi’s full name ripping out of his throat in a magnitude that vibrated all throughout the metal. 

 

It was always funny to Iwaizumi how a crude corporation such as the Galactic Bounty-Hunters’ Guild could be contained within the sleek and strangely serene architecture. There were hundreds of headquarters all across the galaxy, and so far, every single one that Iwaizumi has stepped into before looked exactly like the previous one. The structure itself was probably more glass than metal, and the high, complex curves of the ceiling made any of the headquarters a big fat target sign for anyone with a penchant for chaos. It was surprisingly easy for such a being to manifest in this day and age, yet the news never spoke of any G.B.G. headquarters being smashed into the ground or vaulted up into the sky like a ball.

 _It’s probably because this place is overflowing with bounty hunters._ Iwaizumi thought while lazily scanning the expansive waiting area. It was only ten in the morning on the planet, and almost all the seats were full. They would probably be for a while, too, because Iwaizumi himself had been sitting there for almost an hour already. Matsukawa had only _just_ entered one of the registration booths moments ago after waiting in a long line that spanned nearly half the tremendous waiting room. The G.H.G. was one of the most influential establishments within the galaxy, but they were absolutely horrid to deal with.

Iwaizumi breathed a sigh, cursing the rest of his crew for having the privilege of staying on the ship. He was especially mad at that shit-stirrer Kindaichi – had he not prematurely accepted the mission in the first place, the S.S. SEIJOH would have already left Eros and on their way to their next job.

Instead, Iwaizumi was stuck staring at the pile of magazines on the one of the various tables that separated scores of the bright orange, plastic chairs of the waiting room. They were mostly G.B.G.-issued or sponsored magazines, which meant that they contained cheesy success stories that overly glamorized the bounty hunting life, or political bullshit that was skewed to the max. He wasn’t interested in those things, especially the latter. It just seemed like with the expansion of the human race and the contact made with other species in the galaxy led to more fighting and more prejudice rather than sharing and learning. Nowadays, there were always battles going on between the Galactic Alliance – the galaxy’s self-proclaimed police force with a single family as its head-honcho – and various rebel groups who almost always advocated for the eradication of galactic laws set by the G.A.

 Iwaizumi yawned and continued to shuffle through the magazines. He had also already read the latest issue of _GALACTIC WEAPONRY_ on the table, so that was out of the question.

“Just pick one and stop fidgeting.” Hanamaki chided from beside Iwaizumi. He was clearly as bored as Iwaizumi was, but at least he could sit still. Or maybe he was just fighting sleep – the issue of _GNORGAN SWEETS_ in his hands didn’t seem very appetizing. Or maybe that was just Iwaizumi.

 _Whatever_. Iwaizumi went back to the main problem at hand: curbing his boredom. As per some security measure, G.B.G. headquarters usually enabled what Iwaizumi liked to call a _tablet-killer_ , which turned off and blocked most of the functions of each individual hunter’s tablet. There was absolutely no access to the internet, or any archive from any planet for the matter. Communication was virtually impossible within the glass building, so it wasn’t as if Iwaizumi could even complain about his boredom to someone. The only thing that worked on the tablet was the clock, which made things more painful to Iwaizumi. Time was passing by far too slowly for his liking. In fact, he was even becoming tempted to read the newspaper, even if it was all just repetitive nowadays. _Exposing corrupt politicians, investigating shady business tactics, psychos popping everywhere, bounty hunters arriving and eradicating said psychos, and city-wide attacks a la the Kuiper Brothers_ – nothing that Iwaizumi hadn’t seen before.

“Welcome back.” Hanamaki piped quietly as Matsukawa sat down next to them. “What’s the projected wait time?”

“Five minutes, they said.” Matsukawa scoffed and gestured to the plethora of figures in the room. There were definitely more people now than there was when they had first arrived. “Good thing I told Kindaichi to take on at least five F-class jobs today. Yahaba’s going to make sure he does.”

“Ouch.” Hanamaki and Iwaizumi replied at the same time. Iwaizumi remembered how he used to take on multiple F-class jobs in a day when he was first starting out. Though they were simple and did not involve chasing after individuals of interest – such as looking for a lost cat or scaring off a nest of _Hell Peckers_ off a restaurateur’s roof – they took the life out of you because they were tasks that normal people did not want to do and did not have the ability to complete efficiently. For any new bounty hunter just starting off, F-class jobs were horrid, but absolutely necessary to build up enough reputation points to access higher level jobs.   

“You know, if I weren’t so poor and in trouble, I would pity Kindaichi right now.” Hanamaki shook his head.

“You’re not going to feel that way hours later when we’re still here waiting for our turn.” Iwaizumi said as he finally decided on the most decent read of the pile: Eros’ daily paper. The other two senior hunters nodded in agreement.

Partway into reading an editorial column titled _the Kuiper Brothers: Hotties or Hellish?_ , Matsukawa suddenly sprung out of his chair. Hanamaki and Iwaizumi watched on in confusion as he checked the ticket he received earlier with the large screen in front of them that notified the guests of their position in line, before they, too, were hauled out of their seats and toward the receptionist table beside the set of glass gates leading into the G.B.G. offices.

“Are you sure that’s us?” Hanamaki asked as they neared the receptionists. “You’ve only _just_ come back.”

“Well, the numbers are matching, and I’m sure as hell ready to get this over with if they are.” Matsukawa replied before they got to one of the receptionists. He handed over his ticket to the waiting hand before the gates receded into their metal casings smoothly.

“Thank you for your patience. Just go down the hall, and to your left. Officer Ukai will be waiting for you in room 142. Please remember to keep quiet as other meetings are taking place.” The man behind the counter smiled gently as the trio walked past the gates nervously. Whatever the topic of this meeting was, it was clearly important enough for the trio to skip the usually ridiculous waiting times at the G.B.G.

At first glance, Officer Ukai was a normal looking Human. He was of average height and average build, but the wall of awards in his office and the medals that decorated his entire uniform told Iwaizumi that something serious was going on. Officer Ukai was no ordinary official in the G.B.G.

“Have a seat, Team SEIJOH.” Officer Ukai offered lazily to the trio. There were already papers sprawled out in front of him, as if he had been awaiting and preparing for their arrival already. “Let’s just cut to the chase – we’re temporarily suspending your team license.”

“What?” Iwaizumi gaped – he did not see that one coming.

“With all due respect, sir, _why_?”  Hanamaki protested a bit more coherently, “I mean, we haven’t violated any rules of the G.B.G. – we always act in accordance to the guidelines. There’s no way that—”

“I hear you, I hear you.” Officer Ukai interrupted as he picked up a new sheet of paper. “However, your casualty scores are absolutely _ridiculous_. I understand that sometimes, things can go awry when you’re going after highly-ranked bounties, but for a B-rank?” He tossed them a stack of papers – it was the same bill that they had received from the Eros government after dealing with the bounty from yesterday. “This was apparently the final straw for the Board of Quality Control, so they have decided to punish you on the basis of you ruining the G.B.G.’s reputation.”

“Fuck.” Iwaizumi buried his face into his hands and groaned. It was his fault. Definitely his fault.

“Look, don’t be so bummed out.” Officer Ukai spoke again as he lit up a cigarette, “It’s only a temporary suspension – a quick whack on the bum if you will. You’ll get your license reactivated in two weeks’ time, and you can still individually chase after bounties. The only limitation is that you just can’t reap team license benefits anymore – that is, combing your individual hunter scores to unlock higher bounties. And regardless of your own individual scores anyway, you guys are only limited to D-rank jobs and below as of now.”

Iwaizumi felt another wave of guilt wash over him. Individually, Matsukawa and Hanamaki had scores high enough for B-ranked bounties, while Iwaizumi had limited access to the A-ranked bounties. A-ranked and S-ranked bounties were always, _always_ exponentially worth more than any other rank. The fact that they were not even allowed into their designated ranks just made the entire situation worse.

“Oh,” Officer Ukai picked up another sheet of paper on his table, “well, on the bright side, your actual ship license isn’t being taken away. If you wish, you can still take on transport jobs from the G.E.G., the escort branch of the G.B.G. in other words – and in my personal opinion, it’s probably also the best option for you right now. A highly ranked transport job will always out-pay any bounty ranked C or below. And if you’re the blood-thirsty type, you can still go ahead and hack at enemies if you pick up the highly-ranked escort jobs that have any sort of risk level.”

Oh, Iwaizumi was blood-thirsty, alright, and he had a target. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were on either sides of him, sitting silently and probably thinking of the same things.

The rest of the meeting was uneventful after that – it wasn’t as if they could fight against a firm decision like that – and after signing a few papers acknowledging the meeting and receiving a booklet outlining their new set of rules and limitations for the next two weeks, the trio finally left the G.B.G. headquarters. Matsukawa and Hanamaki still remained silent, and it only made Iwaizumi feel even worse.

 _On the bright side, that meeting was like…ten minutes long. A new record for the G.B.G._ The thought wasn’t even that funny in his head.

Iwaizumi finally spoke up when they arrived in front of the small hovercraft they often used within the planets. “Look guys, I’m so—”

“Save it.” Matsukawa snapped. He narrowed his eyes at Iwaizumi, and the latter half expected to be punched.

What he didn’t expect was to be pat on the head like a child, nor did he expect a small but genuine smile from Hanamaki. “It’s not your fault.”

“But it—” Iwaizumi tried to protest as he swatted Matsukawa’s hand away from his head.

“It was the bounty. You had nothing to do with it – I mean, if we’re going to play the _it-was-my-fault-by-association_ game, then I can argue that it was my fault for not grabbing your halberd faster, or that I should shave off parts of my legs so I run faster next time.” Hanamaki explained.

“Likewise, I would probably be at most fault for not giving Kindaichi a beating earlier.” Matsukawa chirped, “I mean, I knew all along that he was as dumb as rocks, but I should have done something about it. Don’t feel bad, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi shut up after hearing his first name. The intimacy was slightly embarrassing, but he understood Matsukawa’s intentions.

“Well…I guess we should hurry back to the ship and figure out the G.E.G. database or whatever.” Iwaizumi sighed.

“No need.” Hanamaki’s tablet shot out a hologram of the G.E.G.’s job directory. All of the active transport jobs available were listed, starting with the most recent ones at the top. Matsukawa and Iwaizumi watched Hanamaki navigate through the system expertly, opening the filter tab before selecting the _sort by: reward – descending_.

“Good call. Kindaichi definitely can’t interfere now.” Matsukawa and Iwaizumi grinned. That was usually how they looked for new jobs if the G.B.G. were not sending them urgent ones based on their location. Their eyes glittered at the amount of zeros on some of the jobs. There was an issue though – a lot of the jobs were nowhere near Eros. The most rewarding ones were a few days away from the planet, and the trio did not want to waste time and gas getting to it.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to look at just Eros then.” Hanamaki probed around the system again. The hologram refreshed, and the amount of jobs available dwindled down to just several – only one of which that seemed to offer an extremely high monetary reward. It went without saying that bounty-hunting was certainly a more rewarding career than transporting.

“I guess we’ll take on this one?” Iwaizumi nodded at the job at the very top of the list – _From Eros to Irona_. “Estimated time: three days, load size: 1.43 tonnes. One additional passenger, risk level: moderate, and…the reward…” Iwaizumi stared at the number and thought about how many halberds, hovercrafts, and _food_ he could buy with that amount of money after splitting with every single member of the crew…including the staff not even involved in the actual field work.

Matsukawa’s lip twitched excitedly – clearly, he was also seeing the number of zeros on the display. “I guess it’s settled then—”

“Wait, wait.” Hanamaki cut in just before Matsukawa hit the _accept_ button on the page. “Eros to _Irona_ in three days?” He opened up a new hologram, this time of _galacticMAPS_ with a real-time emulation of the planets and the asteroids, satellites, and dwarf planets in between them. There was a particularly wide cluster of densely packed floating rocks just several million miles away from Eros.

“If the client wants us to get to Irona in three days, that means we’ll have to take a direct route. And if you look here…” The other two followed Hanamaki’s finger to the thick wall of asteroids, “that’s the _Totorian_ _Belt_. It’s a notorious hotspot for pirates because of how easy it is to hide inside the asteroids. That risk-level estimation is a complete lie. _Moderate_ , my ass.”

Matsukawa groaned and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Fuck you’re right. The engine and thrusters are also due for an upgrade, but we haven’t the funds for it. Navigating around the asteroids alone will be tricky.” Hanamaki sighed but nodded in agreement.

However, Iwaizumi frowned at that. “No, no wait. I mean…look at that reward. With that amount of money, we can get the upgrades and we’d still have lots of funds left.”

“Yeah, but we aren’t going to have any if we’re going to be dead.” Hanamaki shot back. “It’s too risky – there are millions of deaths in the area every year, and nobody’s been able to get a definite number because so many bodies are never found again.”

Iwaizumi crossed his arms and continued to urge on, “think about it though. For that price and risk that comes with the time limit, whatever this thing is, it’s got to be important. I’m thinking that…” Iwaizumi zoomed in on a particular spot on the hologram, “this extra passenger? It’s probably another escort hired by the client to ensure that the product is delivered, whatever it is. The client knows the risks, and I’m pretty sure that they already prepared for it.”

Both Matsukawa and Hanamaki contemplated Iwaizumi’s reasoning. Plus, they already _did_ put their lives on the line every day for their work. The fact that they were still alive now meant that they could at least protect themselves.

“And…” Iwaizumi clasped his hands in front of himself before sighing, “it’s not like we have a choice if we don’t want to go hungry you know…riding across the galaxy expensive.”

The other two didn’t need any more convincing. “Fine.” Matsukawa finally relented as Hanamaki started probing around on the hologram again. “But if things go bad, Kindaichi’s going to be our first sacrifice. You and your muscles are next, Iwaizumi.”

 

Despite being one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy, Eros still operated like any other. It had its districts, its social classes, its government scandals, its underground world, and most of all, its hidden parts that no government really wanted to acknowledge existed.

“I never knew _any_ part of Eros was capable of smelling like a typical York street. Eugh.” Kunimi wrinkled his nose. Iwaizumi agreed, but kept quiet as he continued to observe the interior of the dingy warehouse. The rose-coloured walls were the only signature of Eros. Otherwise, it was just like any other dirty warehouse full of illegal dealings on any other planet.

“Don’t complain. Whoever owns this place will also be in charge of our stomachs for the next few days…thanks to _someone_.” Iwaizumi finally replied as he tried to stifle a yawn. After they accepted the job, the client immediately demanded they meet him at the warehouse the following morning as soon as the sun came up.

“Don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one who went missing when they were handing out brains at the hospital.” Kunimi turned his head slightly so that his voice would carry up into the hangar where Kindaichi was supposed to be organizing the area. Iwaizumi wordlessly gave Kunimi a high-five. “Did we ever find out what the package actually contained, by the way?”

Kunimi scowled when Iwaizumi shook his head, but they continued to watch some warehouse workers roll a wooden square crate four metres tall into the hangar of the spacecraft. The outside appeared simple enough, but that was all the crew knew about the product they were delivering. They didn’t know the value or use of the product, nor did they know if it was alive or not. All the client did say was that they did not have to worry – that the cargo would not be of the illegal nature.

 _Yeah right_. Iwaizumi scoffed as he took another look at the poorly-lit space. He swore he saw several of the workers on the upper balconies running around donning silver collars that only had one use – and no, it was likely not for fashion.

“I’m pretty sure I saw some guys back there with their pinky fingers missing.” Kunimi continued to gossip from beside Iwaizumi. It wasn’t as if Iwaizumi were afraid of mobsters, but knowing that the situation could possibly become more complicated made him feel just a bit exhausted already.

“Quit acting like a little girl, Kunimi.” Matsukawa chided from behind the two. “We’re probably just transporting something ridiculous like inflatable sex dolls. Something embarrassing so that the creepy meeting place would make sense.” Kunimi scoffed at that and opened his mouth to reply until someone else joined them.

“Gentlemen?” It was an older man with a round pot belly and whitening hair who walked up to the crew members. There was a considerably younger and taller man trailing right behind him, though they could not really see his face from the thick head of brown hair that swept over his eyes and the black regulating mask he had over half of his face.

Iwaizumi noted the bright sparkle that managed to peek through the newcomer’s eyes, which was a great contrast to the mask on his face; they were a tool that mercenaries often used to restrict respiratory airflow in order to push their bodies’ limits during physical activity. That was one of the many ways that made them such great and efficient killers. This man likely killed for a living, though whether by contract or employed by the old man, Iwaizumi wasn’t too sure.

“You must be Mr. Klept.” Matsukawa stood forward and shook the older man’s hand. “Thanks again for the opportunity.”

“No, no. Thank _you_ so much for agreeing to meet us on such short notice.” The cheerful old man’s demeanour was quite the contrast to the seedy location. “You see, the quality of my products is pretty time-dependent. Best pay the premium for delivery to ensure a loyal clientele.” He winked at Matsukawa as if any of the bounty hunters were in on whatever sort of joke he was making.

Matsukawa gave a small smile. “No problem, sir. And this is…?”

Mr. Klept stood aside. “Ah, yes, yes. This is Oikawa. I have hired him to protect the cargo, seeing as how you will be passing the Totorian belt and all. He will be the additional passenger to your ship.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Oikawa shook hands with Matsukawa as well. He then turned to Kunimi and Iwaizumi, repeating the gesture after asking for their names. In spite of the mask that often distorted the wearer’s voice, Oikawa’s came out smooth and sophisticated. Charming. Nothing like the common brutes that populated the industry.

“I understand that you may have some worries about crossing the Totorian Belt, but Oikawa has quite the resume. He has accompanied various deliveries like this many times before – he’s a favourite of mine, really. You will be fine, even if you run into some pirates.” Mr. Klept nodded with a smile. “However, do feel free to relax a bit before you go. I own a diner just down the block, so if you’re feeling peckish, I would love to offer your crew some food on the house.”

 _Free food_.

“We’d love to. Let me just round up the rest of my crew.” Iwaizumi mentally praised Matsukawa for accepting the offer with so much dignity.

The food offer apparently extended to Oikawa as well, for he also joined them at the diner. The walk to the diner had been quiet on his end, but when prompted, Oikawa would reply as smoothly and with as much charisma as any Lord sitting around the Galactic Alliances’ Board of Directors. Iwaizumi imagined Oikawa with a fluffy, golden crown and was not surprised to find that it fit him very well.

“So…Iwaizumi, was it?” _Speak of the devil. Or would he be a devil prince?_

“Yeah. Oikawa?” Iwaizumi asked as if he hadn’t been keeping an eye on the other man ever since he set foot into Iwaizumi’s field of vision.

“That’s right!” Iwaizumi could not see Oikawa’s mouth, but judging from the crinkle in the mercenary’s eyes, Oikawa appeared to be smiling. Apparently, Iwaizumi’s thoughts had been written all over his face. “Oh! Where are my manners?” Oikawa said with a laugh before he reached behind his neck, finally unclasping the black mask he wore over his face.

 _Wow_.

If the upper half of Oikawa’s face alone was princely, well, his entire face put together was likely shaped by the gods. Oikawa was undeniably handsome. He had a straight nose that looked as if he had never been in a fight before, and his lips were the absolute envy of any sex worker in the galaxy. And when he smiled – Iwaizumi would have never believed Oikawa to be a mercenary had Mr. Klept not raved about him. Perhaps Iwaizumi didn’t even believe it now.

“So, you’re a team of bounty hunters?” Oikawa continued to speak.

“Yeah. Team SEIJOH. Well, not right now, anyway.” Iwaizumi pursed his lips, eyes narrowing in Kindaichi’s direction. “We got our team license suspended and individual licenses restricted for a bit, so we’re taking on some transport jobs in the meanwhile.”

Oikawa suddenly started to laugh – a complete change from his elegant demeanor from before. “What! Isn’t that a serious punishment? What the hell did you guys do? Destroy a statue of baby Eros? They worship the little guy over here – I wouldn’t be surprised if the G.B.G. officials working here loved him as well.”

Denial was on the tip of Iwaizumi’s tongue before a flash of a statue smashed to smithereens popped into his mind. He pursed his lips again. “I mean…that was probably one of the reasons? I don’t think any corporation would enjoy their employees ruining their reputation by destroying national parks and buildings, I guess.”

Oikawa laughed again – Iwaizumi noticed this time around that the mercenary was a bit ugly when he did, but it wasn’t as if he was uncomfortable to look at. The deep laugh lines, the mouth opened all the way, and the scrunch of Oikawa’s nose all seemed to work in harmony together on Oikawa’s face. It only made Iwaizumi even more suspicious of Oikawa’s abilities—

“You’re such a brute, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi blinked. “Come again?”

A coy smile formed on Oikawa’s face. “I said you were a brute, Iwa-chan. Are you not one?”

“Okay, first of all, it totally wasn’t my fault. Secondly, _Iwa-chan_?” Iwaizumi crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. He definitely noticed the sudden bout of familiarity between them, and Iwaizumi didn’t know if that was just how Oikawa normally was, or if he was playing at something else; something that deserved a punch in the face. It was another thing Iwaizumi had been wired to be aware of during his youth at the training academies.

“Well, ‘Iwa’ comes from your name,” Oikawa explained as if speaking to a child. Iwaizumi was leaning more towards the latter option already, his fists aching to wipe the haughty and condescending tone away from Oikawa’s voice. “Whereas ‘-chan’ was something that Humans used back in the Pre-Galactic Days as a suffix as an endearment.”

Iwaizumi didn’t know how to respond aside from squinting his eyes as if he would suddenly see some sort of answer in his vision.

Oikawa nudged Iwaizumi’s shoulder with his own. “What? Did you want to call me ‘Kawa-chan’ as well? I wouldn’t mind.”

“I feel like ‘Shitty-kawa’ fits you better.” Iwaizumi blurted out before he could even think. Oikawa’s jaw dropped, but instead of walking away in a huff, he merely stepped closer to Iwaizumi.

“You’re so mean, Iwa-chan!” He whined while shaking Iwaizumi’s arm childishly. The suave Oikawa from earlier was nowhere to be found at this point.

 _Not that you’re complaining…_ Iwaizumi thought before mentally smacking himself. The bounty hunter shook Oikawa off his arm as standoffishly as possible, but he knew that Oikawa’s presence was having some sort of effect on Iwaizumi’s physical wellbeing. “Screw off.”

“Geez, I was joking earlier about you being a brute but I see that it’s true. You’re not kind at all. I bet this is why you’re single.” Oikawa complained, shimmying up into Iwaizumi’s personal bubble once again.

 _Ah. I know what this is. You’re just feeling your blood pressure rising that is all._ Iwaizumi established. “Is this how you treat every stranger you meet for the first time?”

Oikawa grinned, “Only the hot, closeted-softy types.”

Iwaizumi did not respond, his eyes widened slightly and his mouth opened in surprise. That was something that Iwaizumi had not predicted. Another bout of ugly laughter started from Oikawa.

Oikawa locked his arms with Iwaizumi’s. It must’ve looked weird because they were both tall – in fact, Oikawa was taller than Iwaizumi by a bit – muscled men, yet they were walking like children. Even so, Iwaizumi didn’t react.  “I was just kidding!”

Before Iwaizumi could breathe a sigh of relief because _what the hell is this situation?_ , Oikawa continued to talk, “About the closeted-softie part, I mean. You’re still hot. And you’re definitely not shy about hiding your soft side.” The mercenary glanced down at their interlocked arms, to which Iwaizumi pulled his arm away and sped off closer to the rest who had somehow managed to put a considerable distance between themselves and the pair.

When Oikawa caught up to them as well, he started to talk to Iwaizumi again – something about being a complete _nerd_ for Gnorgan culture because they were just the coolest race in the galaxy and how their neon green skin tones were super _awesome_ – and Iwaizumi didn’t know if he wanted to smack Oikawa for being annoying, unprofessional and _way_ too damn chatty, or to sit there and just listen to the handsome mercenary talk endlessly.

After all, no matter how annoying he was, Oikawa was still a sight for sore eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter - @tsuwundere :-)


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